Pas Normal Studios Logo Light Overshoes review: a well-designed, water-resistant shoe cover that shouts its name loud and proud

Pas Normal Studios produce a full range of cycling clothing, all delivered with a slice of Scandinavian style. As the name suggests, the Logo Light overshoes aren't a deep winter offering, but rather, like many of the best overshoes, are an option for slightly warmer temperatures when your feet still need some added protection against the wind and light rain. Let's see how they fair.

The construction

The Pas Normal Studios Logo Light Overshoes have been designed primarily to keep the elements out rather than providing insulation. They’re made out of a fine-knit blend of nylon and elastane, which PNS says is naturally windproof and water resistant, while a DWR treatment is designed to aid this further. Internally taped seams add to the weather protection capabilities.

Rather than use a zip on the rear, the overshoes attach underneath the shoe using Velcro, and are designed to be put on before your shoes and then pulled over them.

The top of the overshoes has been laser cut and uses a silicone grip, both designed to hold them in position as well as prevent any water from seeping down into your ankles and shoes. A Kevlar patch on the toes has been added to reduce the natural wear and tear that's a result of putting your foot down at traffic lights and other hasty stops.

Available in sizes S (36-39), M (40-43) and L (44-47) in blue, black and olive green, they also feature a large reflective logo across the outside of each foot.

The ride

Putting on the PNS Logo Light overshoes is easy. Simply pull them on and over your feet before your shoes, put the shoes on, then stretch the overshoes over the shoes. A Velcro tab keeps them securely on the feet, and so far I've had no issues with it coming undone.

It’s a wonderfully easy way to put on overshoes, especially if you have shoes with retention dials. Other overshoes or oversocks I’ve used tend to require being pulled up and over the shoes but when you have a couple of retention dials and cleats to get in the way, this can become cumbersome. But not with this PNS model. They have been the easiest pair of overshoes to put on and take off, which after a cold, mucky ride that leaves you with dirty feet and numb hands, is a blessing.

The performance is excellent, too. Despite lacking the overall insulation of heavier-duty overshoes I remained comfortable even in sub-zero temperatures. Admittedly, my feet did get cold on the rare occasion that water managed to get through via very soaked bib tights. However, in that level of prolonged heavy rain and cold weather, there aren't many options that will keep you toasty.

These really excel at water repellency and windproofing. Water beaded off the material with ease, whether I was riding in light showers or heavy rain. Little water seeped in, which also meant that I didn't experience the windchill typically associated with wearing wet cycling clothing.

The silicone grippers at the top also stay securely in place and do a good job of stopping water soaking down the overshoes, especially when paired with water-repellent bib tights.

An additional feature that I really like is the Kevlar toe covers. These will increase the longevity of the overshoes and have shown no signs of wear over the testing period.

There are also large reflective logos across the external side of the overshoes, which boost visibility nicely. A reflective strip across the rear would make rear visibility a little better, but given that in foul weather most will be using a rear light, side visibility is more important.

My one slight gripe is the Velcro. While it makes these overshoes incredibly easy to put on and take off, it's a nightmare when it comes to kit washing. It doesn’t matter how well you think you’ve put the connecting pieces of Velcro together, it will find fleeced material or stitching seams from other kit items to latch onto, pulling at the fibres in the process. I found that, given they are relatively sweat-free after use, it's better to wash them by hand. Fortunately, the water and dirt repellency makes this a far easier task than with most kit items.

Value

At £70/$90 for a non-insulated overshoe, the PNS are at the higher end of pricing when compared to the likes of Endura, Madison and Shimano. However, these options use zips and I’ve never had a pair of overshoes with a zip closure that offers good weather proofing. I always find that it allows for some water to travel down into the shoes, so the zipless and full silicone hem of the PNS makes them better in the rain.

Rapha adopts a similar design with its Winter Overshoes, but the joint between the hem cuff and the main body can allow some water seepage. The Assos RSR Winter Speed Booties are also similar, but come in at £95 / $130 and don’t feature the same toe protection.

When you consider the performance, sleek nature and ease of fitting and removal, the PNS overshoes represent pretty good value in my opinion.

Conclusion

The Pas Normal Studios Logo Light Overshoes are an impressively effective pair of overshoes for wet and unpleasant conditions. The waterproofing is fantastic thanks to the membrane and the silicone gripper at the top. Only in the wettest of conditions does some water seep through via the bib tights.

They feature virtually no insulation, but the weatherproofing does limit wind chill effectively. Fitting is also easy thanks to the zipless design and Velcro fastening underneath. Meanwhile, a Kevlar toe boosts longevity. These are not cheap, but their level of performance and price makes them reasonable value. All told, they are a very effective pair of overshoes for rainy conditions whatever the time of year.